Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-05-13


dance begin" he cried, and the next second
the fiower-crowned girls sprung forward in
companies, singing 4 sweet song and waving
the delicate palms and white flowers. On
they danced, now whirling round and round
now meeting in a mimic warfare swaying
eddying here and there, coming forward
| falling back in an ordered confusion delight.
full to witness. At last they paused, and a
beautiful young woman sprung out of the
ranks and began 10 pirouette in front of us
| with grace and yigGf which would have
| put most ballet-girls to shame. At length
| she fell back exhausted, and another took
! her place, then another and another, but
| none of them, either in grace, skill, or per
| sonal attractions, came up to the first.
| At length the king lifted his hand.
(which think ye the fairest, white menY
| he asked.
."rhe first" said |, unthnkiusly. Mex
second regretted it, for | remembered that
Infadoos had sad that the fair2st woman
| was offered as a sacrifice,
Then is my mind as your minds, and my
| eyes az your eyes. She is tho faifesL and a
| sorry thing it is for her for she must die"
lay, must der piped out GagOOl, casting
! a glance from her quick eyes III the dIrec-
| ton OF the poor girl, who, a. yet ignorant of
| the awful fate in store for her, was standing
some twenty yards off in front Of a company
| OF girls, engaged in neryously picking a
flower from her wreath to pieces, petal by
| petal.
| "Why, kingY' said l. restraining my in
| dignation with difficulty; ''the girl has
| danced well and pleased us: she is fair, too;
| it would be hard to reward her with death"
| ,t. ,nI 40 la, rnI
at is our custom and the figures who sit
in stone yonder' (aud lie pointed toward the
three distant peaks must have their due.
Did fail to put the faircst girl TO death to-
day misfortune would fail upon me and my
house. Thus runs the prophecy of my peO-
| pie: Fl the king offer not sacrifice of fair
| girl on the day of the dance of maidens to
| the old ones who sit and watch on the noun
| tanS, then shall he fall and his house
! Look ye, white men. my brother who
| Iegned before me offered not the sacrifice,
| because Of the tears of the home, and he fell
and his house and reign IN his stead. 1t
| is finished; she must die" Then turning to
| the guards-"BrIng her hlthcr; Scragga,
make sharp thy spear"
Two Of the men stepped forward, and rs
| they did 50, the girl for the first time reali-
| zing her impending fate, screamed aloud
and turned to fly. But the strong hands
| caught her fast, and brought her, struggling
and weeping, up before us.
'What Is thy name, girl?' pped GaSOol.
| what! wilt thou not answer; shall the
| kings son do his work at oncc?"
At this hint Scragga, looking more evil
| than ever, advanced step and lifted his
| great spear, and as lac did so | saw Sir Hen
| rvs hand creep to his revolver. The poor
| girl caught the CLINT of the cold steel
| through her tears. and it sobrred her an
| guish. She ceased struggling, but merely
| clasped her hands cOnyulsiycly, and stood
| shuddering from head to foot.
See" cried Scragga in high glee, "she
shrinks from the sight Of my little paythng
| even before she has tasted it," and he tapped
the broad blade of the spear.
IF ever | get the chance, you shall pay
for that, you young huund!' | heard G0oi
| mutter beneath his breath.
Now that thou art quiet, give us thy
name, my dear. Come, speak up, and fear
not, said Gago0l in mockcry.
"Oh, mother" answered the grl in tremb-
ling accents, my name is FouIata, of the
house of SulO On, mother, why must | die?
| have done no wrOngV'
"Be comforted," went on the old woma H.
in her hateful tone of mockery. Thou must
die indeed, rs 4 sacrifice to the old ones who
sit yondcr,' taud she pointed to the peaks :;
but it is better to sleep in the night than to
toll in the day time; it is better to die than
to live, and thou shalt die by the royal hand
of the king own SON.
The girl Foulata wrung her hands in an.
guish, and cried out aloud: ooh, cruel and
4
should never again see The sun rise out of
the night, or the stars come following on his
track i'll the evening; that should no more
gather the llOwerS when the dew is heavy, or
listen to the laughing of the waters! Woe is
me- that ! shall never see my fathers hut
again, nor feel my mothers kiss nor tend
the Kid that is sick! Woe is me, that no lover
shall put his arms around me and look into
my eyes, nor shall men children be born of
me! Oh, cruel crucIr' and again she wr1ng
her hands and turned her tear-Stained flow
er-crowncd face to heaven looking 50 love
~ in her dcSpuir-fOr she was indeed "A beau
titul woman-that it would aSsuredly have
melted the heart of any one less cruel than
the three hendS before us. Prince Arthur's
appeal To the mili ms who came to blind him
was not more touching than this savage
girls.
But it did not move Gagool or Glgoors
master, thou III | saw signs of pity among
the guard ben,nd, and on the faces of the
chiefs; and rs. for Good. he gave a sort of
snort of ndign Ition and a motion rs though
to go to her. With all w0man's uuickness
the doomed girl interpreted what was pass
Ing in his mind, and with a sudden move
ment flung herself before him, and clasped
his beautiful white legs" with her hands.
30 white father from the StlIS!' She cried,
throw over me the mantle OF thy protec-
ton; let m' creep into the shadow of thy
strength, that may be saved. Oh, keep me
nom these cruel men and from the mercics
Of Gagool"'
"All right, my hearty. I'll look after you,"
sung out Good, in nervous Saxon. Come,
get up, there's a good girl, and he stopped
and caught her hand.
Twala turned and motioned to his son,
who advanced with his spear lifted.
'Now's your time" whispered Sir Henry
10 me; what are you waiting for
Il am waiting for the eclipse l an.
swered; II have had my eye on the sun for
the last half-hour, and never saw it look
healthier"
well, you must risk it now or the girl
will be killed. Twala is losing patience"
Recognizing the force of the argument,
having cast one moro deSpairing look ut the
bright face of the sun, for never did the most
ardent astronomer await 4 celestial event
with such anxiety | stepped with all the
dignity l could command between the pros
trate girl and the advancing spear of
SCragga.
King" l said, this shall not be; we will
not tolerate such thing; let the girl go in
safety"
Twala rose from his seat in his wrath and
establishment and from the chiefs and ser
ried ranks of girls, who had closed up upon
us in anticipation of the tragedy, came a
murmur of amazement
Shall not be- thou white dog, who yapS
at the lion in the cave, shall not be! art
thou mad? Be careful lest this chickens
fate oyertake thee, and those with thee
How canst thou prevent it, Who art thou
that thou Standest between me and my will?
Withdraw, l say. Scragga, kill her. Ho,
guards. seize the men"
At this cry armed men came running
swiftly from behind the hut where they
had evidently been pla eed beforehand.
Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa ranged
themselves alongside of me, and lifted their
rifles
"Stopr' l shouted, boldly, though ut that
moment my heart was in my boots. "Stopi
we, the white men from the stars, say that it
shall not be- Come but one pace nearer,
and we will put out the sun and plunge the